brinkerhoff



(No Model.)

J. J. BRINKERHOPI.

VGLOTHES WRINGBR.

Patented Mar. 6, 1888,

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' Inn/6725b \B a fi aii'orngya UNITE STATES PATENT Erica.

. JOHN BRINKERHOFF, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO JACOB BRINKERHOFF, OF SAME PLACE.

CLOTHES-WRINGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,951, dated March 6, 1888.

Application filed June 2, 1887. Serial No. $10,069. (No model.)

T0 or whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. BRINKERHOFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Auburn, in the county of Cayuga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Wringers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to clothes-wringers; and it consists of a construction or constructions whereby the force of the pressure de-- vices and their regulating mechanism is arrested in such a way that the rubber rolls of the wringer are allowed to come in contact without injurious pressure on each other; and my invention is fully disclosed in the following specification and claims.

The greater portion of the wringers in use are used for only one or two days for each week, and when in operation they are employed for a large portion of the time upon small articles, which require but little pressure. It is one of the peculiarities of rubber that when it has been compressed for a long time itloses its elasticity. Most of the wringers in general use have devices-such as thumbscrews or their equivalents-4hr regulating the pressure upon the rolls, and the inconsiderate operator will apply to the rolls and their bearings a larger amount of pressure than is necessary, simply from a lack of judgment, and will subject small and thin articles to nearly the same amount of pressure as the thicker and heavier pieces. They will also, in a like thoughtless manner, put the \vringer away until again needed withla large amount of pressure upon the rubber of the rolls. This pressure upon the rolls when they are not in use causes a flattening of the rubber of the rolls along the line of contact, and, in-additionv to the evil caused by reducing the elasticity of the rolls at the points specified, the flattened portions cause additional torsional strain between the roll-shaft and the rubber, tending to disrupt and loosen the rubber from the shaft. All this causes an undue and unnecessary amount of friction upon the roll-shaft and its bearings,

rendering the operation of the wringer unduly laborious during the wringing of the smaller articles, which constitute the larger portion of every wash.

It is the object of my invention to prevent and overcome the difficulties mentioned, and thus promote the durability of the wringer and lessen the labor of operating the same when in use. To this end I provide that class of wringers which have devices-such as thumbscrews or their equivalents-for regulating,adjusting, andexerting pressure upon the rolls with stops constructed, arranged, and applied in the wringer so as to arrest a desired portion of said pressure on its way to the shafts of the rolls, and at the same time permit the rolls to receive the arrested pressure in proportion to the thickness of the articles passing between them and then automatically rearrest and hold it back from the rolls and their shafts and bearings as sucharticles pass out from between the rolls, as will hereinafter he more fully set forth.

Under my arrangement,no matter how much pressure the operator may apply, none of it is permitted to operate upon either roll or its bearings, except what may be necessary to bring them firmly together and to wring thin articles or articles requiring little pressure, and then, when thick articles are passed between the rolls, the amount of pressure upon the rolls and their bearings will be in proportion to the size of the article or articles being wrung.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a frame-wringer with one form of my invention embodied therein, a portion of one side being in section to better show the construction. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same construction of wringer with parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a partial front View of a wringer ICC) B B are the rolls. The springs here employed consist of the two wooden pieces 0 G, with the rubber, 0, between; but any other form of wooden, metallic plate, or coil springs may be employed in lieu thereof. Vith the construction of spring shown in Fig. 1, two adjusting-screws may be employed; but with other constructions only one might be needed. (See Fig. 3.)

The shaft of the lower roll is preferably mounted in stationary bearings. The upper roll is mounted in movable bearings a, one of which is shown in detail in Fig. 4.. These bearings are provided on the lower side with an open groove, a, to receive the shaft, and on the upper side with a groove, a at right angles to groove a. The ends of the lower part, 0, of the spring rest on the top of these movable bearings, as clearly shown at the right in Fig. 1. Beneath the ends of this part 0, and within the groove a of the movable bearing, is a bolt, D. This bolt is provided with cylindrical ends, one or both of which are serew-threaded to prevent displacement of the same.

The bolt is provided centrally with a polygonal portion, d, and this polygonal portion is eccentrically located in respect to its ends. The bolt is provided at one end with a gain to receive a screwdriver to turn the same; or it may have a polygonal end, so that it may be turned by a wrench or a key fitted thereto. This bolt is placed in such a position in the frame that the spring exerts sufiicient pressure on the movable bearing to bring the rolls firmly in contact, but without exerting suffieicnt pressure to flatten the same if allowed to stand for a considerable period in one position. In practice I propose to place the bolt in such a position that the face of the polygonal portion nearest in line with the surfaces of the ends will be in contact with the part 0 of the spring. As the bearings and rollers become worn, it

may be found desirable to adjust the stop to permit a nearer approach of the rolls. This can be done by turning the bolt so that the next higher face of the polygonal portion is brought in contact with the part 0. This is continued until the adjustment desired is secured. In someinstances I may place the stopbolt under the bearings, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, instead of in the path of the spring. In employing this construction I should prefer to have the groove a of the hearing a slightly deeper and dispense with the transverse groove (i though this is not essential.

The bolt D is not necessarily provided with the eccentric polygonal portion, though that form ispreferred. Any other form of belt or screw which will secure the result desired may be employed; or a wooden bar or pin may be substituted therefor.

The operation and function of the stop are clear from the foregoing description. The stop is in such position as to receive the full force of the compressing devices at a certain point,

which gives the rolls a firm but not injurious pressure upon each other, and after the operation of wringing arrests this pressure at the same point, so that whether used with or without care the rolls are saved from being fiattened and injured in consequence of the care: lessness or indifference of the operatives.

I do not claim to be the first to apply astop to a wringer which shall intercept the force of the compressing devices at a certain point; nor do I claim to be the first to interpose a stop in the path of the movable arm of C- shaped springs, or between the arms of said springs, as I am aware that it has been heretofore proposed to do this.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a wringer-frame, of a pair of rubber rolls, pressureregulating devices, and a stop interposed between each of said regulating devices and said rolls, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a wringer-frame, rubber rolls therein, and pressure-regulating devices for said rolls, of a stop applied in the path of some part transmitting the force of each pressure-regulating device toward the said rolls and their journals, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a clothes-wringer, the combination, with a pair of rubber rolls, pressure devices, and a pair of standards, of movable parts in said standards transmitting pressure toward said rolls, and a stop applied in the path of some movable part transmitting pressurefrom thepressure devices toward said rollsand their bearings, substantially as described.

4. In a clothes-wringer, the combination, with a supportingframe, a pair of rolls, and pressure devices, of a bolt or bar attached to said frame and extending into the path of some part transmitting the force of each pressure device toward said rolls and their journals, substantially as described.

5. In a clothes-wringer, the combination, with the supporting-frame, a pair of rolls located therein, and pressure devices for said rolls, of bolts rotatably mounted in said frame and having an eccentric polygonal portion located in the path of some movable part transmitting the force of each pressure device toward the said rolls and their journals, substantially as described.

6. In a clothes-wringer, the combination of a pair of rubber rolls, pressure devices, and a pair of standards, with movable parts in said standards transmitting pressure toward said rolls,and an adjustable stop in the path of some movable part transmitting pressure from each pressure device toward said rolls and their journals, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my'si gnatu re in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN J. BRINKERHOFF.

\Vitncsses:

GEORGE B. TURNER, T. J. SEARLS.

III) 

